A symptom database or catalog is a collection of patterns and recommendations that can be used to comb through a series of artifacts. In a more specific embodiment, IBM Log Analyzer can use a symptom database to comb through or scan log entries for patterns, displaying all matches to help a support analyst find a solution to a customer's problems. As shown in FIG. 1, a user (such as a support engineer) scans log entries 100 imported or uploaded from a customer using IBM Log Analyzer 105 and employs symptom database 110 to identify a particular problem, i.e., selected log entry 115 (WSR0036E).
However, the creation of symptom databases or catalogs for problem resolution requires (1) someone to sit down and write their expertise in a standard format, and/or (2) the automatic mining of existing knowledge bases. These approaches have significant drawbacks. It is not only difficult to get people to sit in front of an editing tool, but it is also important that the person still remembers the problem solution when the symptom definition is being authored. The mining of data requires the data to be inside the knowledge database in the first place. Yet, sometimes support engineers forget to paste the relevant files inside the knowledge database.
Thus, there remains a need for the dynamic creation of a symptom database in which problem solutions can be easily and timely identified, stored in a database or repository, and are accessible to a large number of people, such as a division, corporation, enterprise, or other entity.